2015/89/65 Creation Date(S): 1 March 1985 Extent and Medium
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NATIONAL ARCHIVES IRELAND Reference Code: 2015/89/65 Creation Date(s): 1 March 1985 Extent and medium: 13 pages Creator(s): Department of the Taoiseach Access Conditions: Open Copyright: National Archives, Ireland. May only be reproduced with the written permission of the Director of the National Archives. • S('te0~ (iJHq~) , VISIT TO NORTHERN IRELAND SAT 23RD - TUES 26TH F!~/l5. During his recent visit to Belfast, on which I accompanied him, the Minister met a cross section of SDLP representatives (senior members and party activists) drawn mainly but by no means exclusively from the Belfast area ( out of town SDLP participants included Paddy O'Donoghue and Fergus Mc Qulllan). About sixty party members attended a reception hosted by the , Minister in the Forum Hotel. The Minister was introduced by the new party Chairman Alban Maglnnls who used the occassion to commend the Minister' and the Government for the suPPOt·t, they had given to the SDLP in recent years and in particular for' tl1C strong interest now being taken in the human rights issues facing the northern minority community. The Minister's r'em8t'ks on the oca~sion were well r'ecelved and strongly welcomed in a ve ry pe rsonal conc 1 ud i ng in t e rven tion by Paddy 0' DOllogllUe . F'olJowlng the reception, the Minister hosted a private dinner to wh .1ch senior represcntaLives or the pal'ty were InvltccL 'I'hose attending were Alban Maginnis Pascal O'Hare Brian Feeney Mary Muldoon 'rom Connolly Ben Caraher Jim Fulton Paddy O'DoTloghue excused himself because of a prior cOITlllil tment. Dr' ..Jo I!cmj['on was Inable to attend due to tt1e unexpected hospltaliz8tiDn of ' his brother Jjm. The Minister for StaLe at the Depar'Lrnent or environment, Mr. Fer g u sO' Br' i en, was pr e s en L at bot h the re c e p t ion and the dinner. The text of the Minister" s remarks Lo the SDLP was circulaLf'd to the lrish media, Nor'Lh and SouLh. - ? - While in Northern Ireland, 1 used the oricasion for discussion of current issues of interest with Michael Canavan (formerly SDLP spokesman on security issues) Derry Mayor John Tierney, Denis Haughey (international secretary of the SDLP). Sean Farren, (North Antrim SDLP representative and former party Chairman) Austin Currie (SDLP representative for South Tyrone), as well as Brian Feeney, Pascal O'Hare and Dr . Joe Hendron of Belfast. ~ (,Q. I aJs'o attended on 26 March the -meeting which tile Minlster for Labour, Mr. Rory Quinn, had with Bob Cooper of the Fair' Employment J.gency and tile dinner which the Minister hosted ror' a group of Norther'n Ireland 'Trust Nationa1 ists. Earlier in the day Minister Quinn addressed a f~otary group in East Belrast. A point which emerged clearly boLh at dinner conversation wIth the Minister and in my subsequent pr'lvate discusstons was the con rid en c e 0 f S DLP flI e In b e r s t hat 1..11 e .Y can h old U) e 1 r g r 0 un d a t the May Local Government Elections against the challenge or Pr'ovisional Sinn Fein and indeed thp r belief that the party i~, now mov i ng to a pos i t ion of ol'ganj sa t ional and el ec tora 1 recovery. Several reasons were adduced for this but ~he dominant one was undoubtedly a feeling that the contradictions within the ballot box and armalite strategy of Sinn Fein were at last becoming clear to the northern nationalist eler.torate. Having- made a deciston to engage in the cut and ell ~ 1& tl1rur,t of illt~r'-pat'ty<and C'ompetttion, Stnn Fein were now being Judged on t.he SA.me cl'iteria oC de11vel'abl1tty ,and plausibility ... '--- . a PI)] i e d t).y t 11 eel e c tor ate tot h e Sf) LP . A further point which emerged was the reluct.ance of SDLP members to engage in internalised Inter-party discussions before the successful co tI C 1 u s ion 0 f the 0 n - g 0 i n g An g 1 0 - 1 r' Ish d 1 s c u s s ion s . I nth i s cont.ext those met. saw t.rle !'ecent controver'sy involving SDLP .leader John Hume alld t.he IBA and the subsequent. unionist reac:tlon a~) ensuring t.hat the par'Ly held the high ground in fac1ng th' 1f5SU' of' inter'-pa r't.y t.alks in t.he immediate future. - 3 - There was fairly unanimous support for the initiative taken by Mr. Hum e . Th 0 sew h 0 m I met a 1 sot end e d to' fee 1 t hat the rhythm of Anglo-Irish discussions and the timing of an Anglo-Irish substantive summit should not be subordinate to local electoral considerations in Northern Ireland. Michael Canavan: Mr. Canavan has withdrawn from public political debate but remains an important figure in SDLP politics in the Derry area and has deeply invelued himself in the University issue. He maintains a strong interest in the over'all politics of NOI'thern lrelalld and ill parlicular in !lUman rights and security-r'clated issues. Among the pOints he made ~ were: - (i) the human rights issue is not only of moral importance. It has a strategic political significance in obliging the British Government and Br' i li s hop 1 n 1 0 n t 0 con r r' 0 tl l the con l r a d i c t ion s bet wee n the high values to which the nat.1on subscribes and the inevitable departures fr'orn civilized standards which arise in the management or: Northern Ireland. What he envisaged was the intensification of policies, aimed at shaming the British in their involvement in Northern Ireland. (1i) As an individual through perSistence he had accomplished some little redress in the human rights f'i e] d; (e. g. 1 n reI a t ion tot h e Ben net t Rep 0 r t ). '1'h e ... '-.. / sovereign Irish Government could accomplish much more, particularly if lt chose to 1nternatlonallse the human rights issue. (1il) Nothing short of' the disbandmenl of the UDH should be accepted. IL should be replaced by a mixed force which would have Irish (not necessarily Irish al'my) and Bf'1tlsh At'my par'llGipat1on. ----------- ---- - Jj _ (iv) The problems with the RUC would rectify themselves if a framework for jOint responsibility were established between Britain and Ireland. In this context (although there were uncertainties) he felt Catholics could be persuaded to join the RUC and to resist IRA intimidation. (v) The final content rather than the timing of any ~nglo-Irish package was what was most important. The SDLP could confront the challenge of Provisional S1nn Fein on their over terms in the May elections. They w9uld be assisted in this by the recent initiative of Mr. Hume. Sinn Fein was peaked electorally and could not sustain its current strategy. (vi) A purely co~sultative role in Northern Ireland for the Irish Government would be intolerable. He had taken the s tan d h e had 0 n t II e P r' i 0 [. i nit i a t i v e bee a use 1 t offered only consultative rights for Northern llationalists. rrhus they wet'c being asked to underwrite an unacceptable system of administration without being given the capability of transforming, it. An executive role for the Irish Government should mean an open and equal say in the running of Northern Ireland and this was required above all 1n relation to security policy. (vii) The Forum process had helped 1ntegrat~ northern . '"-- nnt.1onal1~3tB into Irish nat10nalism as a whole and t h use n d 1 t s 1 0 n g is 01 a t 1 0 n . Th e Br i t ish (a n d unionists) still hoped to split off northern national1sm from this larger association by maintaining pressure for an internal settlement. An executive role for the Irish Government would s t r'engthen the integra t 1 vc tendency of Irish Nationalism. - 5 - (viii) lnter-party talks on devolution should follow a successful Anglo-Irish package. John Tierney, Mayor of Derry: Mr. Tierney is young, articulate, working class; influelltlal with the SOLP in Derry and 910se to the party leader. (1) lie was confident that the SDLP could mRlntaln and even improve on their position 1n the May elections. Sinn Fein would make their gains at the expense of the lIP and, of existIng lIP members, only Fergus McAteer had a chance of remaining. I' (li) 'l'he lIP, and particularly the current deputy mayor, continued to play a negative role in Derry politics. Their objective was to embarass the SOLP by cllallenging their nationalist and populist credentials. The "Oerry/Londonderry" debate had been part of this strategy. (iii) Local SOLP representative~ could not allow the lIP to hold the high ground of nationalism and popullsm., 'l'hey fel t obliged, therefore, to co-opt, where pOSSible, contentious inter-community issues which arose, frame them in the most.; reasonable terms ava11ale and seek to limit any counter-productive impact on unlonis op1nion. ~ .. t._ ~ (lv) GIll' 1'(: C(ltt. Ir;~;uc WelS tilt lIP delllDlld to have t'ptnoved 1'r' olll t.he Guildhall in DE::t'I'y Fl statue of Queen Vl c Lor'ia.